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SDO's Eclipse Season

Due to the geometry of Solar Dynamic Observatory's orbit, there are periods when the spacecraft's view of the Sun is blocked by the Earth and sometimes the Moon. Starting this earlier this week (video taken on Feb. 22, 2016) and for the next few weeks, the Earth will continue to get in the way once a day around 7:00 UT. This eclipse season occurs twice a year, near the equinoxes. The video covers about 15 minutes as the Sun is becoming unblocked again. The Sun was blocked for close to an hour. Such is life in space 22000 miles above Earth. Credit: Solar Dynamics Observatory, NASA.